The First Lady's Kinky

Matt Welch | November 17, 2005

Texas Jewboy Kinky Friedman has been polling much better than I thought in his independent run for Texas governor in 2006 -- 21%, according to the latest Zogby. The singer/novelist has been on a "fun-raising" swing through Hollywood, drawing this friendly op-ed notice in the L.A. Times, which contains this mind-tweaking anecdote:

In April 2002, during the so-called council of war between President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair in Crawford, Texas, there was a surreal moment at dinner when the conversation turned from the West Bank, Baghdad and Gaza to Friedman and his band, the Texas Jewboys.

According to Sir Christopher Meyer, whose gossipy memoirs, "DC Confidential," gave London's dinner-party circuit something to chatter about last week, First Lady Laura Bush cheerfully informed the dumbstruck British contingent that she was a fan of Friedman and his song "I'm an Asshole from El Paso." Actually, the first lady had got it wrong -- this number is properly known as "Proud to Be an Asshole from El Paso," but never mind.

Comments

Rich Ard|11.17.05 @ 12:30PM|#

I generally don't care for collaborations, but if Tom Robbins and Kinky Friedman got together on a novel, I'd buy ten copies sight unseen.

No, twenty.

|11.17.05 @ 12:35PM|#

My favorite Kinky songs:

"Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns In the Bed"

"They Don't Make Jews Like Jesus Anymore"

I love his mystery novels, too--I want to be like Kinky when I grow up. Not that I plan to do that anytime soon...

|11.17.05 @ 12:43PM|#

First Lady Laura Bush cheerfully informed the dumbstruck British contingent that she was a fan of Friedman and his song "I'm an Asshole from El Paso." Actually, the first lady had got it wrong -- this number is properly known as "Proud to Be an Asshole from El Paso," but never mind.

Actually, I think someone was misinformed. She was just answering the question, "Who are you, Laura Bush?".

Jeff P.|11.17.05 @ 12:52PM|#

The Kinky Friedman site is selling an action figure of him. If it's the same scale as the George Bush-in-a-Flight-Suit figure, imagine the fun kids can have...

|11.17.05 @ 12:55PM|#

Kinky had an interesting interview about a week ago with Donny Douche. Anybody catch that? Donny got pretty pissed at him and pretty much called him a racist.

Wintermute|11.17.05 @ 2:09PM|#

Chinga Chavin's 1976 "semi-classic 'Asshole from El Paso' (which is notable primarily because New York City talk radio DJ Don Imus often plays Kinky Friedman's cover version) is a wonderfully irreverent take on Merle Haggard's 'Okie From Muskogee'...."

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4791FD347AF7F20D7863A52CC9467F319CE0DEF9D02345854DFA13E5A915C27AE0DA2C6CFB1FA70F878A5FA26AE5B06C3AA93&sql=10:qqfjzfahehpk

|11.17.05 @ 2:18PM|#

What's his campaign slogan? May I suggest "Friedman's just another word for nuthin' left to lose"?

|11.17.05 @ 4:00PM|#

Deacon,

The slogans are:

"Kinky Freidman for Governor - Why the hell not?"

"Why not Kinky?"

"He ain't Kinky. He's my Governor."

And my personal favorite....

"My Governor is a Jewish Cowboy."

I may just register to vote this year.

Larry A|11.17.05 @ 4:05PM|#

What's his campaign slogan? May I suggest "Friedman's just another word for nuthin' left to lose"?

Pretty close. "Kinky Friedman: Why the hell not?"

|11.17.05 @ 6:29PM|#

Wait. Did they really run the word "asshole" in the LA Times? Glory be!

|11.17.05 @ 7:34PM|#

I gotta get one of those Kinky dolls to put next to my R. Lee Ermey Motivational Figure...

|11.17.05 @ 11:48PM|#

Gotta vote for Kinky. I mean, why not?

|11.18.05 @ 6:18AM|#

I just looked at the Kinky site, labeled "why not Kinky?"

And the answer I would give from reading the brief snippet is; BECAUSE HE'S A FUCKING COMMUNIST

Or at least that's what I got from reading what little I did.

Why can't some cool unothodox person run who has more libertarian tendencies?

|11.18.05 @ 9:32AM|#

Prevent the further wussification of Texas...vote Kinky. ta..ta..ta..taco

|11.18.05 @ 10:52AM|#

kwais,
He's a Commie, but he's tweaking the established political system right in Dubya's back yard.
Be mindful of small favors.

"Why can't some cool unothodox person run who has more libertarian tendencies?"

There are none. We must make do with what we've got. Besides a "serious" run violates my anarchist principles.

|11.18.05 @ 3:35PM|#

Jim Walsh, thank you for that link. Now I know what to get the Beloved Marine for Christmas!

|10.31.06 @ 10:29AM|#

I hate KINY!!!